Vøringsfossen drops 182 metres into the Måbødalen gorge at the point where the Hardangervidda mountain plateau meets the Hardangerfjord valley below. It is consistently ranked among the most spectacular waterfalls in Norway — not the tallest (several Norwegian waterfalls are higher) but the most powerful and most dramatically situated, the entire volume of the Bjoreio river falling in a single drop into a narrow gorge of coloured rock. The viewpoints are accessible without any hiking; the landscape surrounding them is extraordinary. Bergen to Vøringsfossen is approximately 3 hours by car — a long day, but a full one.
The viewpoints
There are two main viewpoints at Vøringsfossen, accessed from the plateau above the gorge near Fossli. The older viewpoint is a short walk from the Fossli Hotel — a small stone building perched at the rim of the gorge, with a direct view down into the falls. The newer Vøringsfossen viewpoint (opened 2022) is a purpose-built structure with a cantilevered platform extending over the gorge rim, giving an unobstructed vertical view of the full drop. The two viewpoints are about 5 minutes apart on foot along the rim. Neither requires any scrambling or special footwear.
Måbødalen and the descent
The road from Eidfjord up to the plateau — Rv7 through Måbødalen — is one of the most dramatic short drives in western Norway. The valley narrows as you climb, the walls becoming increasingly steep, and the road tunnels through rock before emerging at the plateau. An older section of the road, the Måbøvegen, is a historic hairpin route that predates the tunnel — it is driveable in summer and worth taking on the descent if you want to see the valley at a slower pace. The falls themselves are visible from the valley floor as a thin white line high above.
Getting there from Bergen
By car: Bergen → E16 east → Voss (1h20min) → Rv13 south toward Granvin → Rv7 east through Norheimsund, Øystese, Kinsarvik, and Eidfjord → up Rv7 to the plateau and Fossli. Total Bergen to Vøringsfossen: approximately 2h45min–3 hours and about 160 kilometres. By public transport: reaching Vøringsfossen without a car is difficult. The best option is to join an organised day tour from Bergen — several operators run summer excursions. Independent travel by bus requires a train to Voss, connections to Eidfjord, and a taxi or walking the steep mountain road from Eidfjord — not practical for a day trip.